The Mathematics modules for K-6 were developed by Missouri teachers in 2001 and 2002 and are designed to build the conceptualization component in instruction of number, operations, measurement, spatial sense, and geometry. These concept modules are designed to be integrated into traditional curriculum, as well as into other reform materials such as Everyday Mathematics, Investigations, or Trailblazers. A major resource for the development of these modules is the translations of a Korean text book series used in the national curriculum of Korea in 1996.

This article reports results of a collaborative study of mathematics instruction in 1st and 5th grades in 5 schools in Pusan, Korea. The purpose of this collaborative effort was to describe classroom structures and processes in mathematics lessons, using the instruments and methodology developed by Stigler and Stevenson for their studies in Japan, Taiwan, and the United States (H.W. Stevenson et al., 1987; J.W. Stigler, S. -Y. Less, G.W. Lucker, & H. W. Stevenson, 1982). Classes in Korea were teacher centered and organized in the whole-class structure. Lessons were made up of sequences of highly organized, systematic patterns of instruction dominated by teacher questions that included higher level procedural and conceptual questions. Instructional sequences were followed by short periods of practice and evaluation. Systematic conceptual development of mathematical procedures characterized the lesson content. These observations have implications for educators on both sides of the Pacific interested in why Asian students perform so well on international tests of mathematical achievement compared with students in the United States.

This paper describes an experiment conducted in an intensive three-week English language course conducted for non-English-speaking faculty members at the Institut Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan Jakarta in Jakarta, Indonesia. The approach used in the course represented an effort to provide an opportunity for intensive practice of the language in meaningful, purposive communication as an alternative to a traditional approach which focuses primarily on form.